100 Examples of Ansible


Ansible is a powerful automation tool used in various fields such as scripting, networking, and cloud automation. To help you understand its full potential, here are 100 real-world examples of Ansible in action. With these practical use cases and hands-on examples, you can learn how to unleash the power of Ansible and streamline your automation processes.

Examples of Ansible in Action

The examples of ansible by various applications are deeply explained in given below:

10 Examples of Ansible Scripts

  1. System Monitoring Script: Automate the process of monitoring server resources like CPU, memory, and disk usage with Ansible scripts.
  2. Log Rotation: Create Ansible scripts to manage log rotation and prevent disk space issues on your servers.
  3. Software Installation: Easily deploy and install software across multiple servers using Ansible scripts, saving time and ensuring consistency.
  4. User Management: Streamline user account creation and management with Ansible scripts for tasks like user addition, removal, or password changes.
  5. Backup and Restore: Develop Ansible scripts to automate backup and restoration processes for critical data on your servers.
  6. Database Configuration: Configure and manage databases by automating tasks like creating tables, users, and backups using Ansible scripts.
  7. Service Deployment: Automate the deployment of web services, applications, and microservices with Ansible scripts.
  8. Security Hardening: Enhance server security by creating Ansible scripts to enforce security policies, configure firewalls, and update security patches.
  9. Scheduled Tasks: Use Ansible scripts to manage cron jobs and schedule tasks efficiently.
  10. File Distribution: Automate file distribution and synchronization across servers with Ansible scripts.

10 Examples of Ansible for Cisco Networking

  1. Router Configuration: Configure Cisco routers and switches by automating tasks such as setting up interfaces, routing protocols, and access control lists.
  2. Software Updates: Use Ansible to automate Cisco IOS software updates across your network, ensuring all devices are up-to-date.
  3. VLAN Management: Simplify VLAN configuration and management on Cisco switches using Ansible playbooks.
  4. Access Control: Enforce access control policies and enhance network security by automating user access and permissions on Cisco devices.
  5. Inventory Management: Automatically discover and keep an updated inventory of Cisco network devices using Ansible.
  6. Backup Configuration: Schedule regular backups of Cisco device configurations for disaster recovery with Ansible.
  7. Troubleshooting: Diagnose and troubleshoot network issues by running Ansible playbooks for data collection and analysis.
  8. OSPF Routing: Automate OSPF routing configuration to optimize network performance and redundancy.
  9. SNMP Configuration: Configure SNMP settings on Cisco devices to monitor and manage network performance.
  10. Port Security: Enhance network security by automating port security configurations on Cisco switches.

10 Examples of Ansible for Code Management

  1. Version Control: Automate the process of managing version control systems like Git, including repository setup and code deployment.
  2. Continuous Integration: Use Ansible to automate CI/CD pipelines for code testing, building, and deployment.
  3. Docker Containers: Automate the deployment and management of Docker containers using Ansible playbooks.
  4. Web Application Deployment: Deploy web applications and microservices across multiple servers with Ansible.
  5. Load Balancer Configuration: Automate the setup and configuration of load balancers for your application clusters.
  6. Database Schema Updates: Manage database schema changes and updates with Ansible, ensuring data consistency.
  7. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Utilize Ansible to define your infrastructure as code and automate infrastructure provisioning.
  8. Configuring Web Servers: Automate the configuration of web servers like Apache and Nginx for hosting web applications.
  9. Database Replication: Implement database replication using Ansible for high availability and data redundancy.
  10. Container Orchestration: Automate container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and Docker Swarm with Ansible.

Also Read: 50 Examples of Programming Language

10 Examples of Ansible for AWS EC2

  1. Instance Provisioning: Create and manage AWS EC2 instances dynamically with Ansible playbooks.
  2. Auto Scaling Groups: Use Ansible to automate the creation and scaling of AWS Auto Scaling Groups.
  3. Load Balancer Setup: Automate the setup of AWS Elastic Load Balancers for distributing traffic.
  4. Security Group Configuration: Manage AWS security groups and network policies using Ansible.
  5. EBS Volume Management: Automate the creation and attachment of EBS volumes to EC2 instances.
  6. S3 Bucket Configuration: Use Ansible to configure Amazon S3 buckets and set access permissions.
  7. Lambda Function Deployment: Automate the deployment of AWS Lambda functions with Ansible.
  8. RDS Database Management: Manage Amazon RDS databases, including backup and scaling operations, using Ansible.
  9. CloudWatch Alarms: Create and configure CloudWatch alarms for monitoring AWS resources with Ansible.
  10. VPC Configuration: Automate Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) setup and configuration on AWS.

10 Examples of Ansible for Azure

  1. Azure VM Deployment: Automate the provisioning of Azure Virtual Machines using Ansible.
  2. Azure Resource Group Management: Create, update, and delete Azure resource groups with Ansible.
  3. Azure App Service Deployment: Deploy web applications to Azure App Service with Ansible playbooks.
  4. Azure SQL Database Management: Automate Azure SQL Database tasks such as backup, scaling, and configuration.
  5. Azure Blob Storage Configuration: Configure and manage Azure Blob Storage containers and data using Ansible.
  6. Azure Key Vault Integration: Use Ansible to automate Azure Key Vault integration for secure secrets management.
  7. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Deploy and manage Azure Kubernetes Service clusters with Ansible.
  8. Azure Functions Deployment: Automate the deployment of serverless Azure Functions using Ansible.
  9. Azure Networking Configuration: Configure Azure virtual networks and security groups with Ansible.
  10. Azure Monitor Alerts: Set up Azure Monitor alerts for tracking the performance and availability of Azure resources with Ansible.

10 Examples of Ansible for Built-in SSH Modules

  1. SSH Key Generation: Automate SSH key pair generation for secure authentication using Ansible.
  2. SSH Configuration: Use Ansible to manage SSH server configurations, including port settings and access controls.
  3. SSH Key Deployment: Automate the distribution of SSH public keys to remote servers for password-less authentication.
  4. SSH Tunneling: Set up SSH tunnels for secure communication between servers using Ansible playbooks.
  5. SSH Hardening: Implement security best practices by automating SSH hardening on servers.
  6. SSH User Management: Manage SSH user accounts, their permissions, and keys with Ansible.
  7. SSH Certificate Authority: Use Ansible to set up an SSH certificate authority for enhanced security.
  8. SSH Key Rotation: Automate the rotation of SSH keys to enhance security and compliance.
  9. SSH Proxy Jump Hosts: Configure SSH proxy jump hosts for secure access to remote networks with Ansible.
  10. SSH Authentication Logging: Enable SSH authentication logging to monitor and audit user access.

10 Examples of Ansible for Cisco IOS Command Automation

  1. Interface Configuration: Automate the configuration of interfaces, VLANs, and IP addresses on Cisco devices.
  2. Routing Protocol Setup: Use Ansible to automate the configuration of routing protocols such as OSPF and BGP.
  3. Access Control Lists (ACLs): Manage access control lists and security policies with Ansible playbooks.
  4. Backup and Restore: Automate the backup and restoration of Cisco IOS configurations for disaster recovery.
  5. Dynamic Routing Updates: Automatically update routing tables based on network changes using Ansible.
  6. Quality of Service (QoS): Configure QoS settings to prioritize traffic on Cisco devices.
  7. Syslog Configuration: Set up syslog servers and configure logging for network monitoring.
  8. Port Security: Implement port security on Cisco switches for network protection.
  9. VLAN Configuration: Automate VLAN setup and management on Cisco devices with Ansible.
  10. Password Changes: Use Ansible to automate password changes and enforce security policies on Cisco devices.

10 Examples of Ansible for Cisco Switch Automation

  1. Switch Configuration: Automate the initial configuration of Cisco switches using Ansible.
  2. STP Configuration: Use Ansible to configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) settings on Cisco switches.
  3. VLAN Trunking: Automate VLAN trunking and ensure efficient traffic management on Cisco switches.
  4. Port Configuration: Automatically configure ports on Cisco switches based on specific requirements.
  5. EtherChannel Setup: Use Ansible to configure EtherChannel for link aggregation and redundancy.
  6. Port Security: Automate port security configuration to enhance network protection.
  7. MAC Address Table Management: Automate the management of the MAC address table on Cisco switches.
  8. Virtual LANs (VLANs): Use Ansible to create, modify, and remove VLANs on Cisco switches.
  9. Switch Monitoring: Implement automated monitoring and reporting for Cisco switch performance.
  10. Firmware Updates: Use Ansible to automate firmware updates on Cisco switches.

10 Examples of Ansible for EC2 Instances

  1. Instance Provisioning: Create, manage, and terminate EC2 instances on AWS using Ansible.
  2. Auto Scaling Configuration: Configure Auto Scaling groups and policies for dynamic instance management.
  3. Security Group Management: Automate the management of security groups for network security.
  4. S3 Bucket Access Control: Set access control for S3 buckets using Ansible for data security.
  5. EBS Volume Management: Automate EBS volume creation, attachment, and resizing for storage needs.
  6. Lambda Function Deployment: Deploy AWS Lambda functions automatically with Ansible playbooks.
  7. VPC Setup: Automate the setup of Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) and subnets.
  8. Route 53 DNS Configuration: Use Ansible to configure DNS settings in Amazon Route 53.
  9. EC2 Snapshot Management: Automate the creation and management of EC2 snapshots for data protection.
  10. AWS Elastic Beanstalk Deployment: Deploy and manage applications on AWS Elastic Beanstalk using Ansible.

Also Read: 25 Examples of Software Code

10 Examples of Ansible Galaxy Roles

  1. Nginx Role: Use Ansible Galaxy roles to deploy and configure the Nginx web server.
  2. MySQL Role: Automate the deployment and configuration of MySQL database servers.
  3. WordPress Role: Deploy and manage WordPress applications using Ansible Galaxy roles.
  4. Docker Role: Automate the setup and management of Docker containers with Ansible.
  5. Jenkins Role: Configure Jenkins CI/CD pipelines using Ansible Galaxy roles.
  6. Elasticsearch Role: Use Ansible Galaxy roles to deploy and configure Elasticsearch clusters.
  7. Kubernetes Role: Automate the setup and management of Kubernetes clusters with Ansible.
  8. GitLab Role: Deploy and configure GitLab instances using Ansible Galaxy roles.
  9. Kafka Role: Automate the deployment and management of Apache Kafka clusters.
  10. HAProxy Role: Configure High Availability Proxy (HAProxy) for load balancing using Ansible Galaxy roles.

Call to Action

These examples of Ansible’s versatility and power demonstrate its wide range of applications in automation, making it an invaluable tool for system administrators, network engineers, DevOps professionals, and cloud architects. By mastering Ansible, you can streamline your tasks, reduce human error, and significantly improve efficiency in managing your IT infrastructure. Whether you’re an experienced Ansible user or a beginner looking to get started, there’s no better time to harness the power of Ansible for your projects. Start automating today and experience the benefits for yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, task automation, and orchestrating complex IT processes. It simplifies the management of IT infrastructure and reduces manual tasks through automation.

How do I get started with Ansible?

To get started with Ansible, you need to install it on a control node (your management server or workstation). Ansible works over SSH, so it doesn’t require any agents on the managed nodes. Once installed, you can start writing Ansible playbooks to automate tasks.

What is the difference between Ansible and Ansible Tower?

Ansible is an open-source automation engine, while Ansible Tower is a commercial offering that provides a web-based user interface, role-based access control, job scheduling, and other enterprise features for Ansible automation.

Can Ansible be used for cloud automation?

Yes, Ansible is commonly used for cloud automation. It has modules for various cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, allowing you to automate tasks like provisioning virtual machines, configuring networking, and deploying applications in the cloud.


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